a. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an intraocular lens packaging system, and more particularly to an optically clear sterile intraocular lens packaging system which allows inspection and measurement of the lens without breaking sterility.
b. Description of the Prior Art
In the healthy eye, light is focused on the retina by a natural crystalline lens. In certain individuals, the crystalline lens becomes cloudy and opaque, which results in the condition known as a cataract and which results in a loss of vision. One method of treating cataracts is the surgical removal of the natural crystalline lens, thereby allowing light to again be received by the retina. However, without the crystalline lens, the light that reaches the retina is unfocused and therefore, normal vision still is impossible. Normal vision is restored by means of artificial lenses, which may be in the form of eyeglasses, contact lenses worn over the cornea or intraocular lenses implanted within the eye itself.
Intraocular lenses come in a variety of styles and ranges of powers. The style of lens is dictated primarily by the preference of the surgeon for any of various surgical procedures for implanting the lens. The power of the lens is dictated by the size and shape of the individual eye and whether the lens is fixed anterior or posterior to the iris.
Presently, intraocular lenses are packaged either in dry sterile envelopes with opaque lens cases or sterile transparent tubes with a liquid therein. Information as to the power and style of the lens is normally printed on a label affixed to the package. However, prudent surgical practice requires that the surgeon or one of his associates inspect the lens to verify that the labeling information is correct. The inspection is normally performed under sterile conditions in the operating room immediately prior to implantation of the lens and involves removing the lens from the package, visually inspecting the lens for style and defects, and measuring the power of the lens with a device known as a lensometer. If it develops that the lens is defective, the lens is normally discarded rather than being repackaged and relabeled, which is a costly and wasteful procedure.
A further shortcoming of the prior intraocular lens packaging systems lies in maintaining sterility. The lens packaging material is brought into the operating room from the outside and therefore the outside thereof is unsterile. The prior systems provide no means for assuring sterility of the lens after the systems are opened.